1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of sliding door assembly and installation. More particularly, the invention pertains to a novel floor support system for sliding glass or non-glass panels, that act as doors or room dividers, and to a system for supporting them on a floor-level track including means for draining off water that accumulates on the floor or on either side of the door.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional devices undergo change as our culture matures. The common door, mounted on hinges along one vertical side and arranged to swing through an arc, has given way in part to panels that slide on tracks and disappear into walls, sandwich with other such panels, spread apart to divide a room, or give access from one room to another. In many cases, a plurality of glass panels slides on a single track or on separate, but closely parallel, tracks to form a temporary wall, to divide a room into smaller rooms, or to provide an opening from one room onto a balcony, onto a patio, onto a swimming pool area and the like.
A significant problem with these types of sliding panels occurs where one side of the panels faces outside the home or building toward the elements. Rain, sleet or snow hitting the glass and panel is drawn downward by gravity so that it puddles at the bottom of the panel and, when in great enough quantities, spills over onto the tracks upon which the panels are mounted for sliding movement. In other situations, the floor on one side of the track is slanted such that rain or melted snow runs toward the track. Once the moisture reaches the tracks, problems develop because of the many directions the moisture may flow. For instance, it sometimes flows under the panel and into a room wetting carpets and rugs that thereafter become stained, crispy, or develop an organic growth that causes bad odors and attracts insects. The moisture sometimes flows outward from the panel and stains concrete or causes deterioration of cement and wood flooring, or corrodes the glue that holds down floor coverings such as linoleum, parquet, and vinyl squares.
Often the moisture draws dirt, dust, small insects and bits of leaves and flowers toward the track system. Accumulation of this debris causes the wheels mounted on the panels to become harder to rotate and, in severe cases, seize and refuse to turn, making the panel difficult to move in its intended path. Cleaning these tracks is often difficult and all the debris is rarely removable due to the closeness of the tracks. Often, the panels must be removed and this can be a difficult task. In winter seasons, the moisture often freezes thereby anchoring the panel to its present position and eliminating the desirability of having slidable panels in the first place.
In severe cases, the moisture puddles in the tracks and the subfloor on which the tracks are mounted is weakened. Concrete will crack under freezing and thawing of water and wood beams and wood floors can become weakened by constant exposure to water. Often, the mere beginning of such damage will cause tilting of the tracks and unbalancing of the load of the panels so that they refuse to slide easily along the tracks. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system that will capture the moisture and convey it from the track system before such problems begin to develop.
This invention is an in-floor, adjustable, track assembly for sliding panels with a built-in weep system to collect and thereafter remove the moisture from the track area where, when installation is complete, the exposed surface of the track is minimal resulting in a smooth transition from interior to exterior. It is useful on single or multiple track systems in areas that are divided by the panels into an exterior or outside section and an interior or inside section. This system finds use where the tracks are mounted on a base, are single tracks or are in closely spaced-apart, parallel arrangement and extend upward from the base for engaging the undercarriage of at least two vertically-oriented panels in close arrangement.
The invention provides for splash guards arranged parallel to and spaced slightly apart from one side of each track, preferably the interior area, and forming, with each track, a channel with the base, for collecting moisture from the floor. At least one collection pan is mounted under each channel, to collect moisture from the channel, and includes a tube or other means to draw off the moisture from the collection pan to a distant location.
Much of the invention is formed of extruded metal, such as aluminum, so that the cost of construction is minimized. Further, the invention is fully adjustable in vertical, as well as horizontal, directions so that it can be placed in new construction and installed in existing construction as well. Other parts are made of plastic and rubber so that the entire system is generally free from problems of corrosion even in the face of constant exposure to moisture.
Accordingly, the main object of this invention is an in-floor, adjustable, track assembly for sliding panels with a built-in weep system that will remove moisture that flows across the floor, and possibly across the track, or that trickles down the sliding panels to puddle at the bottom thereof. Another object of the invention is a fully adjustable track assembly that may be adjusted to compensate for warpage, weakness, and misalignment of walls with floors to allow the panels to slide effortlessly over the track.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent when reading the subsequent Description of the Preferred Embodiment taken together with the drawings appended hereto. The scope of protection desired by the inventor may be gleaned from a fair reading of the claims that conclude this Specification.